Klaus & Caroline
by SweetJane21
Summary: When an Enchantress transforms a charming and handsome prince, Klaus, into a hideous beast, he must find someone to love him and break the spell or he will remain a beast forever. Just when he is about to lose all hope, he meets the beautiful princess, Caroline. Soon they fall in love, but when an evil witch to tear them apart, Caroline must save him. Can true love conquer all?


**Klaus & Caroline **

Once upon a time, deep within the heart of a faraway kingdom, there lived an Evil King and his Queen in a beautiful castle with their six lovely children. They had five sons and one beautiful daughter. One of the younger sons, Klaus, was a charming and handsome prince. As he was destined for greatness, Klaus was appointed to take his rightful place on the throne. Although the prince had everything his heart desired, his father, the Evil King, was very cruel.

One cold night, Prince Klaus and his youngest brother, Henrik, slipped out of their rooms to watch a group of men from a nearby village transform into wolves during the full moon. They also happened to be the kingdom's biggest threat. But then an icy wind whistled through the trees. The wolves heard them and soon had Klaus and Henrik surrounded.

The wolves snarled and howled as Henrik and the Prince fought for their lives. After a blood pounding battle, the wolves had no choice but to surrender and ran off into the woods. But it was too late; Henrik had been killed.

King Mikael was fearful for his family's safety, and so he persuaded the Enchantress–the Queen–to place an immortality spell on their children to bestow the gift of vampirism, giving them superhuman strength, speed, agility, eternal life, and self-healing that was even more powerful than those of the wolves so they would be protected from harm. Unfortunately for the family, there were consequences for completing the transformation ritual, and nature had found a way to restore the balance that had been compromised by giving them a weakness for every new strength that they had gained.

But when the Prince transformed it triggered his wolf gene, and the Evil King was horrified to discover his true nature–a hybrid of an amalgamated creature between a vampire and a werewolf. It immediately revealed the truth of the prince's true parentage to his family–he was not the king's son, but instead the son of the wolf chief in a nearby village, whom the Queen had an affair with. Once the Evil King learned of his wife's infidelity and her betrayal, he burned down the entire village where Klaus' father and his entire family lived, igniting a war between the vampires and the werewolves. The Prince tried pleading with the Enchantress, but it was too late. She knew there was no more love left in his heart.

As punishment, the Enchantress turned the prince into a terrifying beast and shunned him. And so he became the Hybrid, the most powerful and feared creature in the world. Every night underneath the full moon, Klaus would transform into a beast, but he would turn back into his human form as a vampire when the moon disappeared behind the sun. Then the Enchantress transformed all the prince's servants who lived within the bounds of the castle into stone and placed an enchanted hummingbird inside the castle. It would thrive until the prince could find the one who he was meant to wed. If he could learn to love and be loved in return before the last flutter of the hummingbird's beating heart, then the spell would be broken. If not, he would remain a beast forever. And that's what he became–a Hybrid. Just like magic spells, names had power. And all of a sudden it seemed to Klaus that the Enchantress had not only transformed him into a creature of ugliness, but his person as well.

The Hybrid killed the Enchantress in retaliation, betrayed by her wicked act. But King Mikael, furious with Klaus for killing his wife, had concocted a diabolical plan. He wanted to kill the Hybrid with the White Oak stake, the only magical object on earth that could kill him. Klaus then fled to England with his two siblings, Elijah and Rebekah, from the Evil King and rebuilt a new castle, promising to always stay together as one.

Ashamed of his monstrous form, the Hybrid hid inside the castle. Trusted allies and witches were his only window to the outside world. As the years passed, he fell into a despair of loneliness and hid it with rage and cruelty. Slowly, the hummingbird began to grow weak. Klaus truly believed that no one could ever love him and that he was doomed to be alone forever.

In a royal palace nearby, there lived a lovely young vampire princess named Caroline. Caroline was the most beautiful girl in all the kingdom. She had golden hair, and her eyes were as blue as sapphires. Caroline believed the world was filled with love and magic, but saw courage and kindness above all. To her mother and father she was the fairest of princesses, and one day when she grew up she would be the greatest ruler the kingdom had ever seen.

So great was Caroline's beauty that, when she was little, everyone admired her and spread throughout the neighboring lands that she wasn't a princess, but actually a goddess of beauty, brought down to live among mortals. And as she grew up, people still called her extremely beautiful, making her dear friend, Cami, very jealous.

Wanting his daughter to learn toil and other useful skills for when she finally became queen, the King gave her work to do around the stables, and Caroline happily obliged. At first, she found it very difficult, but learned quickly, and grew stronger and healthier every day. After Caroline had finished all her work, she would read out in the garden with the birds and sing on the harpsichord.

Caroline, as she was more beautiful, was also better than Cami. The village girl was the daughter of a wealthy town priest and therefore had a great deal of pride because she was more educated. She gave herself a ridiculous air and would not visit other priests' daughters, nor keep company with anyone but people of quality. She went out every day to parties of pleasure, balls, plays, and so forth. And she laughed at Caroline because she spent the greatest part of her time reading good books and singing. As it was known that Caroline was a princess, every well-known Duke and prince from other kingdoms traveled from far and wide for her hand in marriage. But when several imminent merchants made their addresses to Cami, she said she would never marry unless she could meet with a Duke or an Earl at least. Caroline very kindly thanked those that courted her and told them she was too young yet to marry.

In spite of all the attention, Caroline was unhappy. With the Queen's health failing, she wanted Caroline to marry a prince to keep her safe and secure, but Caroline wanted to live her own life. Suitors from all over the land came to the palace to offer themselves to Caroline as her husband and she refused all of them. The princess did not want to get married–she was not in love.

After months had gone by, rumor had quickly spread that a wicked witch by the name of Lilith had plans to take the Princess' power of the throne. She watched Caroline through her crystal ball with jealous, hateful eyes. Lilith hated anyone whose power and beauty rivaled her own and made a vow to destroy her once and for all. The King sent out all the guards to find Lilith, but she remained hidden in the Dark Sanctum of her hideout, feared by many, seen by none. The King and Queen were more determined now than ever to see Caroline married, and secure an alliance with one of the most powerful countries, Spain.

"If I must marry, could I not wed a good, honest man?" Caroline pleaded.

"Darling, I want to see you and this kingdom safe," her mother replied. "You must marry a prince. How many divisions will a good, honest man provide us? We're a small kingdom against great states and we need to make it stronger."

"Just because it's what's done doesn't mean it's what should be done," Caroline said courageously. "We need not look outside our borders for strength. All the strength we'll ever need is within ourselves."

Just as the prince of Spain visited the kingdom in an attempt to win Caroline's heart, Cami's father lost all his fortune and had to dismiss the staff, accepting a small country house a great distance away from town. He told his daughter that they must go there and work for their living. But Cami would not leave because she had many lovers who she believed would be glad to have her as their wife, though she no longer had a fortune. But she was mistaken, for her lovers slighted when they learned she had no fortune. Cami lacked accomplishment in such domestic arts, such as keeping house. Instead, she spent the better part of her time offering therapy to deranged patients for her own pleasure, one of them The Hybrid, whom she believed she could understand better than no other.

Although Caroline was saddened by her friend's departure, everybody was happy to finally see Cami go. "She does not deserve to be pitied," they said. "Let her go and find some qualities of her own in milking the cows and leave us be." But, they quickly added, "We are very worried for Caroline. She is such a charming, sweet-tempered creature who speaks so kindly to poor, unfortunate people and is of such a good natured, obliging behavior." Several princes would have married her, though they knew she would never accept. Though Caroline couldn't think of leaving Cami in her misfortunes, she was determined to try to make herself happy despite the loss. Rather, she took great courage and tried to be as kind as she could.

But Caroline had many friends, and she treated them all with an open heart. Her beautiful horse, Stella, Sampson the dog, Mr. Beak the mail delivery owl, Nutkins the squirrel, and the maids who worked within the bounds of the palace. The rabbits and birds loved her, too. She protected them from the neighboring cats and fed them leftovers of the chicken's feeding. But her favorite was Sylvester, the grumpy old cat. Caroline was kind to everyone–even to Rebekah, the Hybrid's fierce and free-spirited sister, who was always looking for trouble. But she took advantage of Caroline's kindness.

Rebekah often liked to compete with Caroline for the attention of suitors and elegant gifts, as she was very jealous of her. She was furious that her beauty should be challenged by that of a mere princess. Rebekah called for her brother, the mischievous Hybrid. His sharp, beastly fangs and monstrous form was feared even by the mightiest kings, for his great power and strength had killed many. "You must eliminate this threat against me!" Rebekah commanded. "Kill that worthless girl!"

Klaus, always eager for a chance to create trouble, ordered a pack of bloodthirsty wolves to attack the young princess.

Caroline's mother knew very well that she outshone Rebekah, in her resilient spirit as well as her mind and admired her kindness and humility, but above all her patience. For Rebekah not only left her all the work of the farm to do, but insulted her every moment. But it didn't dampen Caroline's spirit. She got up at five every morning in a haste to feed the animals and tend to them.

But sorrow can happen in any kingdom, and it soon came to Caroline's. Her mother fell ill, and when she felt her end drawing near she called to her beloved daughter. "Caroline, my dear child," she said, "I must go soon. But first I want you to make me a promise. Be good and strong, and life will see you through all the trials. And when I look down upon you from heaven, I will always be with you. Don't marry for advantage, darling. Marry for love. Will you promise me?"

"I promise," Caroline said.

And then she closed her eyes and died. Time passed and pain turned to memory. In her heart, Caroline remained every much the same, as she was still brave and kind.

But the next day, wreaked with grief, Caroline ran away from the palace. She hitched her horse, Stella, and galloped off into the night, unaware that she was in danger. As Caroline went through a large forest, she took the wrong path and became lost. It started to snow terribly when she was suddenly overcome with the feeling of someone watching her. And with a high wind coming on, Caroline began to consider the realization of being devoured by wolves, which she heard howling all around her. And sure enough, a pack of large wolves stood in front of her, growling viciously. Stella bolted, and Caroline fell to the ground.

Perhaps it was just as well that Caroline suffered with grief from the loss of her mother, for had she not run to the forest she might never have met the Hybrid.

Frightened, Caroline tried to escape from the wolves and ran as fast as she could further into the woods. Branches tore at her clothes, sharp twigs scratched her arms and legs, and menacing eyes stared at her from the shadows. At last, the wolves found her and she was left helpless. Caroline heard terrible snarling and snapping as they tore at her. Eventually, the wolves left a bleeding Caroline to die alone in the forest.

Meanwhile, the King was riding on his horse in the forest, searching for bandits invading his land. Upon seeing his daughter lying motionless on the ground, he lifted her gently and rode back to the kingdom. The palace did everything they could to tend to the princess, but no amount of medicine could mend her wounds. Finally, the King and Queen sought out the Hybrid for his help, for he was the only one who knew how to heal her.

When the King and Queen reached the castle of the Hybrid, they burst inside and demanded to see him at once. The noble Grand Duke, Elijah, led them to Klaus' bed chambers. They each let out a terrified gasp at the sight of the hideous beast.

The King and Queen begged the Hybrid to save their daughter. When he refused, they offered him their support in his control over the kingdom in exchange for Caroline's life. Klaus agreed to the deal.

Later that night, Klaus hid beneath the shadows and hastened himself to Caroline's chamber, where he found her badly injured from the wolves' deadly bite. As he entered her room, Caroline looked directly at him, her eyes filled with sadness and despair–she did not want to live her life as an immortal or a princess, but to be free. Klaus' heart softened. Caroline was not only beautiful on the outside, but on the inside as well. For the first time in centuries, the Hybrid felt empathy for the young girl and instantly fell in love. He discovered that her birthday was coming up, and Caroline assumed he would leave her to die since he was the one who ordered the attack on her. But the Hybrid, showing genuine compassion, told her that he wouldn't, especially since it was almost her birthday. He explained to her that with her immortality as a vampire she was free, but Caroline disagreed, saying that she was dead instead.

The Hybrid gave Caroline a choice and told her he didn't have to save her if she didn't want to, if she truly believed that her existence had no meaning, admitting to having thought about it himself several times. He then added that the rest of the world awaited her, filled with great cities, art, music, and genuine beauty. After confessing that she did not want to die, Klaus healed Caroline's wound, saving her, and wished her a happy birthday. "I hope to see you again, princess," he said.

Caroline magically awakened with no bite and found a beautiful diamond bracelet sitting on her bedside table that had been left for her by the Hybrid, along with a long stemmed red rose. Over the next few days, she continued to grow more beautiful. And Klaus–unseen by Caroline or anyone else–was so completely in love with her that he kept watch over her and visited her late at night. Klaus made sure that no harm came to the princess, so he stayed close by her bedroom window, always watching over her. The Hybrid had an Atlantis magic looking glass, which he would use to see what his heart desired. When he wished to see Caroline, he stood before it and looked into it, and took relief in knowing that she was safe.

The King and Queen were very concerned with Caroline's birthday getting closer and still she had not chosen a suitor, so they decided to ask the oracle of Fate about their daughter's future.

That morning, the King and Queen journeyed to Delphi with Caroline to see the Oracle of Fate. "Your daughter will wed," the oracle replied, "but to a creature feared by the gods themselves. You must go to a castle deep within the heart of the woods. There she shall meet her fate."

The King and Queen gasped with horror. "It is the Hybrid!" the Queen said.

"We must kill this hideous beast!" the King cried.

But the Oracle warned, "Although their love is forbidden by even the most gracious Gods and Goddesses, they are fated. If Caroline cannot break the spell, the Hybrid will be doomed for all eternity."

In another part of the kingdom, the Grand Duke was worried about his brother, the Hybrid. "It's about time you married and put an end to this wretched curse!" he said to Klaus.

But Klaus wasn't in love with any of the women in the kingdom. He only wanted Caroline. "Don't be ridiculous."

"I will not hear any more of this nonsense," the Duke proclaimed. "Because above all, family is always and forever. There will be a ball tonight for every eligible maiden in the land, where you shall choose a bride. It will be a magical evening."

"Alright, brother," the Hybrid surrendered. "But on one condition. Let the invitations go to all the nobility, not just the commoners."

When the invitations arrived, Caroline's mother happily announced, "There's a ball in honor of the Prince! Every eligible maiden is to attend. Caroline must be the first one he sees."

The King and Queen told the servants to put together the most beautiful gown, but Lilith had secretly intervened in vain and tore apart the dress to shreds, leaving unnoticed in a cloud of smoke. When the servants found the dress destroyed on the stone floor, it was almost time for the ball. They wept with guilt to the King and Queen. Caroline's parents were wreaked with grief.

But unbeknownst to them, word had quickly spread throughout the kingdom that the princess was attending the ball, so the Hybrid found a beautiful blue dress for Caroline that sparkled and glittered all over.

When Caroline finally returned to her chamber, she found the most exquisite ball gown hanging in the window with a note attached. It read, Save me a dance, Klaus. Suddenly, a cloud of sparkles floated from outside her bedroom window. Caroline ran outside to the garden where an elegant carriage appeared. The rabbits turned into horses, the horse became a coachman, and Sampson became a footman. Then twinkling bright lights began to glow around her feet, and beautiful glass slippers magically appeared.

Caroline hastily put on the gown and stepped into the carriage. Then, in a shower of magic sparkles, she was swept away to the castle.

When Caroline arrived at the ball, the Hybrid immediately saw her. She was absolutely beautiful, and Klaus instantly forgot about everyone else. He walked over to Caroline. He took her hand and asked her to dance. Then they swirled off across the ballroom.

The Hybrid didn't leave Caroline's side all night. They danced every dance together. Later that evening, Klaus and Caroline fed one of the horses outside, and they discussed their mutual fondness of horses and the relationships they had with their late fathers. Then he showed Caroline his collection of art in an attempt to impress her, revealing that he was also an amateur artist and that the bracelet he had given to her once belonged to another princess almost as beautiful as her.

Caroline was surprised to learn that the beautiful paintings before her were actually that of Klaus'. The Hybrid offered to take her to see the beauty of the world of Rome, Paris, and Tokyo. They smiled at each other, but when Caroline asked him what it was like to get whatever he wanted at the snap of his fingers, Klaus' face fell and his voice deepened with anger, telling her to stop making assumptions and that she should leave. Ignoring his words, she continued to voice the realization that the reason he created hybrids was because his father never loved him and so he believed that no one else ever would, that he didn't connect with people because he didn't try. As the lights dimmed and sweet music floated out into the winter night, Caroline heard the clock chime. She hurried down the castle steps at the stroke of midnight. In her haste, she lost the bracelet, but she had no time to pick it up. Instead, she jumped into the waiting carriage. The Hybrid's face fell in shock of the princess' brutal honesty towards him as he watched her run away, and he almost followed her out to the carriage, but then stopped himself.

As soon as the carriage went through the gates, the magic spell was broken. On her wrist, Caroline still wore the bracelet that she had thought she'd lost. Her coachman was a horse again, her footman was Sampson the dog, and her horses were seven of her rabbit friends.

They all walked home. When Caroline returned, she found that the Hybrid had left yet another gift on her bed. Upon opening it, she discovered that he had drawn a portrait of her with the same horse from their night together, thanking her for being so honest with him. Caroline looked at the drawing in confusion, feeling incredibly touched by the sweet and romantic gesture.

Back in his hideout, King Mikael gazed at a sacred White Oak stake. "I will destroy Niklaus," he vowed. "If it will be the last thing I do." He was determined to have his way.

That morning, Caroline headed outside towards the stables to see her animal friends when she heard some mysterious sounds. Not seeing anything, she proceeded to the chicken coop, but Rebekah was already there. Rebekah was not happy that Caroline showed up late to help feed the animals.

Caroline helped Rebekah with the work around the farm, where the two bonded briefly over their mutual disdain for feeling trapped in a meaningless life.

But before Caroline could say another word, a black carriage thundered at the stables. King Mikael appeared and captured Caroline. Now he would take his revenge.

Mikael demanded to see his son, the Hybrid. Klaus rushed to the palace, having been watching Caroline and seen what happened. "If you don't turn over your freedom to me, I will kill her," the Evil King said with a sneer. With a cruel laugh, he took Caroline inside his carriage and disappeared deep within the woods. Caroline was gone.

Desperate to find her, the Hybrid sent for his witch, Greta. Greta promised the use of a spell to find Caroline and bring her back safely, using her blood to bind herself to Klaus. With their blood joined together, the witch was able to channel all of her power to make contact with Caroline. Klaus promised the witch that if she were to fail, there would be a penalty to pay.

In the dungeon of his castle, Mikael locked the princess inside a cage and took great pleasure in torturing her, shooting her with wooden stake bullets. Klaus raced to the castle to fight Mikael, where Caroline was being held captive, and found her being stabbed repeatedly by the Evil King. When he saw Klaus, he ordered him to come inside so he could kill him. However, when the Hybrid refused, Mikael grabbed Caroline and demanded Klaus do as he said, or he would kill her.

"Nobody cares about you anymore, boy!" Mikael spat. "Who do you have, other than those whose loyalty you forced? No one."

Klaus' eyes began to tear. "I'm calling your bluff, father," he challenged. "You won't kill her."

At those words, Mikael plunged a dagger into Caroline's back and pulled it out, laughing wildly. Caroline fell to the ground limply.

Klaus and the Evil King faced each other, ready for battle. Mikael attacked the Hybrid and knocked him over, stabbing the White Oak stake into his stomach. But Klaus grabbed it from his hand and drove the White Oak stake deep through the Evil King's heart, burning him to his death.

Panicked at Caroline's succumbing body, the Hybrid rushed to her side and gently lifted her into his arms. He fed her his blood quickly, and Caroline began to drink. Klaus stroked her hair soothingly as her hands wrapped around his arm for support.

Afterwards, Klaus told her to go home and stay safe while he dealt with the Evil King. Caroline nodded and thanked him softly, seeming grateful. He looked at her, touched for a moment, and then ran off to bury his father's body. Caroline turned around, wondering where the Hybrid went, before finally running home.

Upon their daughter's safe return home, the King and Queen feared that Caroline was no longer safe in the palace. Klaus offered to have Caroline live with him in his castle, hidden within the tallest trees and safe from any danger. The King and Queen had no mind to sacrifice their daughter to the hideous monster, but he reminded them that they would suffer at the hands of another if the princess was not protected.

"I will not let you suffer at my expense," Caroline said to her parents. "You shall leave me under the care and protection of Klaus, and I can think of no greater happiness than to sacrifice my well being to save my parents' lives."

The King and Queen pleaded with her to stay, but still Caroline insisted on setting out to the fine palace. She didn't dare shed a tear at parting, because she would not cause them any more uneasiness than needed be.

After Caroline bid goodbye to her grieving parents, they watched with heavy hearts as the Hybrid hurried from the palace with the princess, accompanied by their best guards along the journey. But in spite of all her bravery, Caroline walked trembling as she and Klaus traveled to the large forest. Klaus took Caroline's hand, and they went through the forest path. Then suddenly, looking through a long walk of trees, Caroline saw a light some distance away coming from an ice bridge and going a bit further, caught sight of an illuminated castle more beautiful and elegant than anything she had ever seen.

To hide his castle, the Hybrid ordered one of his best witches to cast a cloaking spell on it to protect Caroline from any ill-minded souls. Following Klaus towards the castle, Caroline was greatly surprised at not seeing anyone in the outer courts other than Elijah and Rebekah.

As Klaus led Caroline to her room, she was struck in awe at the magnificence that it contained throughout. But what caught her attention most was a harpsichord sitting in the corner and several books. "The castle is now your home," he said gently. "And everything in it is yours. You are mistress here and if I cause you any happiness then I'll leave you be, for it would give me great misery if I did so." Caroline was free to go anywhere she liked, but the Hybrid denied her only one thing: to visit the East Wing.

"I only wish to see my parents and know that they're okay," Caroline sighed. No sooner had she said this than casting her eyes on the looking glass in a handheld mirror. To her astonishment, she saw her own palace where her parents greeted a very delighted Cami at the door. Cami didn't try to hide any of her joy for having finally gotten rid of Caroline as she went to comfort her sorrowful parents. A moment later, everything disappeared and Caroline was no longer in disbelief at the Hybrid's promises.

At noon, she found lunch ready, and while at the table, was entertained with a wonderful array of melodic music, but saw no one. Later at night, as she was about to sit down for dinner, she heard a terrible noise that the Hybrid made and could not help but tremble in terror at his horrid form, but took great courage as best she could.

When Klaus asked her to join him for dinner, she just scoffed, hurting his feelings. "Come on, one dinner," he said. "I won't bite."

Still, Caroline refused, and Klaus stormed off in anger. When she went to bed alone, a cloud of sparkles swept through the room. A small fairy with magnificent purple wings fluttered in front of her and said, "I have confidence in your goodness, Caroline. But do not fret! This good action of yours in giving yourself up to the Hybrid shall not go unrewarded."

Caroline gasped. "Who are you?"

"I'm Áine the good fairy," the fairy replied, "and I'm here to help you."

"How?" Caroline asked.

"I can give you back your happy ending." Áine told Caroline of a way to escape the castle without putting her family in harms way. She said that if Caroline truly wanted to be free, she would have to give the Hybrid a sleeping potion to put him into a temporary deep sleep. Once he fell under the dreamlike spell, Caroline would be able to go wherever she pleased. But the fairy cautioned that in order to do so, she would need to intoxicate the beast with the potion without him knowing.

So the next morning Caroline entered a large hall, where she found a warm fire and a table plentifully set up with two covers of exquisite delicacies. She finally found a buffet table laid with a bottle of sparkling champagne and two champagne glasses. Carefully but quickly, she laced the sleeping potion with the champagne.

Caroline was about to leave when the Hybrid walked into the room. "Caroline, care to join me for a drink?"

Thinking he was just trying to charm her, she rejected his advances and headed for the staircase, feeling upset. Klaus took her response as a challenge to continue pursuing her and followed her upstairs.

Caroline stepped onto the balcony, where she sang sweet melodies to the birds. Klaus, having heard her beautiful voice, found Caroline outside.

Suddenly the torches outside sputtered, and the room was plunged into darkness. Caroline became paralyzed with fear when Klaus started to approach her, tensing reflexively. She knew the Hybrid was a dangerous, hideous monster and surely he came here to hurt her.

But the voice that greeted her was kind. "Don't worry, love," Klaus said gently. "You know I would never hurt you."

"Are you serious? Take a hint." But Klaus caught her hand as she tried to walk away and continued to charm her, apologizing about the little 'spat' they had.

"You and your expensive jewelry and your romantic drawings can leave me alone," Caroline replied.

"Oh, come on," he said. "Take a chance, Caroline. Talk to me. Come on, get to know me! I dare you." As they talked, Caroline soon began to smile, then laughed, until soon she forgot why she had been so afraid.

When Caroline asked the Hybrid if he'd ever thought about being human, he replied, "Once. I was on a trek in the Andes and a hummingbird flew up to me, and just hovered there staring at me. Its tiny heart was pattering like a machine gun. And I thought, what a thing, you know? To have to work that hard every day just to stay alive, to be constantly on the verge of death, and how satisfying every day must be that it survived…and that was the only time when I thought about being human." For the first time, Caroline saw Klaus' humanity.

As Klaus sipped his drink, he instantly fell under the spell and collapsed to the floor. Caroline quickly used the opportunity to find her way to the Aviary so she could escape out the attic's window. Just as she unlocked the latch of the small window however, Klaus suddenly appeared, seeming to have been immune to the sleeping potion.

Burned by Caroline's betrayal, Klaus grabbed her roughly in a blind rage, demanding what she did.

"I didn't do anything," Caroline lied. "Stop it."

Klaus let her go, realizing what had happened: Caroline put him under a sleeping spell. With her heart pounding, Caroline fled out of the castle, mounted Stella, and headed for the Enchanted Forest.

Soon after Caroline left, an evil immortal God named Silas confronted the Hybrid, demanding for a magical Cure potion that could open the gates to the Underworld. Knowing that unleashing the Underworld would be dangerous, Klaus refused. Silas threatened the Hybrid, telling him to give up the Cure or would kill him with the White Oak stake, which he now held in his possession. Before Klaus could strike him, Silas drove the stake into his back just below his heart. He snapped off the tip, leaving Klaus bleeding on the floor before reminding him to bring the Cure or he'd go after the woman he loves, Caroline.

Klaus staggered with pain, as the White Oak stake had punctured his heart. Back in the Enchanted Forest, Caroline felt a stabbing pain in her own heart, feeling the connection to Klaus, and instantly knew that he was hurt. She immediately galloped back to the castle.

Meanwhile, Klaus was shirtless and roaring in pain because a piece of the White Oak stake had embedded itself in a place in his back where he could not reach. Caroline hurried inside to find the Hybrid cowering on the floor.

She ran to him, and while touching his face, said, "What happened to you?"

Shaking, the Hybrid told her about the White Oak stake and how Silas would kill him if he didn't hand over the Cure.

Caroline carefully cut into Klaus' back with a knife to get the stake out, but as hard as she tried, she couldn't find the shard of wood. Klaus could feel the splinters moving towards his heart and screamed in agony.

"I barely touched you," Caroline said.

"Well, I'm glad you are finding my misery so amusing," Klaus replied.

Fed up with Klaus' stubbornness, Caroline refused to help. "Love does not exist without trust," she said.

"I saved your life," the Hybrid pointed out. "Don't turn your back on me!"

"I should have turned my back on you ages ago!" Caroline yelled back angrily.

Klaus stared at Caroline with pain from her hurtful words, but as soon as she said them, Klaus' pain disappeared. Silas had used the power of mind control to make the Hybrid think that he was dying, but Caroline was able to take his mind off of it long enough to break the spell.

Afterwards, Klaus took Caroline's hand. "Thank you for helping me," he said softly. "You brought me back, Caroline." She smiled sweetly at him in return.

And so Caroline began her new life with the Hybrid. For the next three months, she spent her days in the palace doing as she pleased, going wherever her heart desired. And in the evenings her new friend thought of new adventures for them to enjoy together and talked to her during dinner every night. Klaus showed Caroline his large library and the rose garden, and she brought out the good in him. Before long, Caroline began to see the man underneath the beast, and Klaus thought of nothing but the beautiful princess.

"Her ability to care for our brother despite all the horrific things he's done truly amazes me," Elijah said to Rebekah. "Perhaps it isn't too late. Caroline could be the one to break this curse."

"Mother made us vampires," Rebekah disagreed, "not monsters. We are the most powerful creatures in the world, yet we are broken beyond repair. We can never die, living in a hopeless world. We are the very definition of cursed...always and forever."

One night, while Klaus and Caroline were dancing, he asked her, "Caroline, are you happy here with me?"

"Of course," she said without hesitation.

"But do you not find me a monster?" Klaus asked.

"No," Caroline replied honestly. "I believe you are good."

"Perhaps it's because I'm pure evil and I can't help myself," said the monster. "The beast in me has left me paranoid and cruel."

"I don't believe you," Caroline said. "You act like a horrible person because you're hurt, which means that there is a part of you that is human."

"How could you possibly think that?" asked the monster.

"Because I've seen it," Caroline answered. "Because I've caught myself wishing that I could forget all the horrible things you've done. And when I see your kindness, the beast disappears."

"You're hallucinating," the Hybrid said.

"I know that you're in love with me," Caroline confessed bravely, "and anybody capable of love is capable of being saved."

As they continued to dance, Klaus promised her that perhaps one day he could show her what the world had to offer. And turning back to look at the Hybrid, Caroline fell deeply in love.

As the days passed, Caroline found that Klaus wasn't a monster at all, but kind and good-natured, full of love. And she saw the Hybrid so often every day that she no longer feared him. Instead of dreading his regular visits at dinner, she would look at the clock impatiently until it struck nine, for Klaus never missed a meal with her. Each day, Klaus would pick out a rose from the arbors of the garden for Caroline, as they were her favorite. She had only one desire, which was to visit the East Wing. And every night before she went to bed, Caroline always asked the Hybrid if he would take her to the East Wing. But no matter how much she teased and begged, Caroline could never persuade him otherwise. "I've given you the world," Klaus said. "I've shown kindness, forgiveness, pity…because of you, Caroline. It was all for you. Isn't that enough?"

Caroline stared at him in shock, caught off guard by his confession. It was some time before she finally answered. "You're enough."

"I know too well of the darkness that resides within me," Klaus said, "but then I love you."

Caroline blushed at his words. "You are the most beautiful man I have ever met."

"I'm happier when I'm with you," the Hybrid replied. "Promise me that you will never leave me."

Caroline had often thought of her family and Cami, longing to see them again just once. She asked Klaus if they could visit. Although reluctant at first, the Hybrid saw a trace of sadness in her eyes and was moved by her pleas, so he obliged. "I would rather die," the monster said, "than see you unhappy. I will send you to your parents. You shall remain with them and I will die with grief, because despite all of the terrible things I've done, for some reason I care only about you."

"No," Caroline said weeping, "I care about you too much to let you die because of me. I give you my word to stay here with you. You have shown me that my dearest friend, Cami, is married. Only allow my parents to stay for a week."

"Then they shall be here tomorrow morning," the Hybrid said. "But you must be careful. Any mention of your whereabouts will alert every sinister noble and Duke in this entire land, as they are trying to find a way to kill you so they can take reign of your throne." Caroline agreed.

The poor monster went to sigh with grief and then said in a mournful voice, "Remember your promise. Goodnight, Caroline." With a kiss on her cheek, he bid her goodnight and immediately withdrew, leaving Caroline to go to bed very sad at seeing him so conflicted.

The very next morning, Klaus summoned Govad, the protective north wind to bring Caroline's parents. Only the purest of souls could be carried by him, and those who didn't would be dropped on the treacherous rocks from the highest mountain below. Upon being reunited, Caroline and her parents wept with joy. As soon as they stepped out of the embrace, Caroline's father handed her a large trunk full of gowns, covered with gold and diamonds, telling her that it was a gift from Klaus. At the bottom was a branch of the most beautiful roses. "So that I'll always be with you," he said.

Caroline thanked him for his kindness, and taking the plainest of the gowns, intended to make the rest as a present to Cami. But her parents told her that the Hybrid had insisted on her keeping them for herself.

Caroline dressed, and in the meantime her parents sent for Cami, who joined them with her new husband. Although she had found wealth and a man with great social standing, Cami was unhappy. She had married a gentleman who was extremely handsome and full of charming wit, but he was so high on himself that he neglected his wife. She became sickened with envy when she saw Caroline dressed like a queen and more beautiful than ever, nor could all her obliging affectionate behavior stiffen her jealousy. When Caroline proudly showed off her new home and told Cami how happy she was, that envy quickly turned to fury, which was about ready to burst when she learned who Caroline's suitor was. Cami thought it was unjust that Caroline, a stupid, mean-spirited, and controlling bloodsucking vampire, should be blessed with both wealth and the man she loved. She wanted to live in the castle as the Hybrid's new bride. Hoping to bring unhappiness in Caroline's life, Cami concocted a plan to torture Caroline with shock therapy to try to find out what about her mind that Klaus liked and destroy it.

After she had vented her feelings at the Baptist church, Cami went back up to the palace and acted so affectionately towards her friend that poor Caroline wept for joy. When Cami finally had a moment alone with Caroline, she gaged her with a Vervain-laced rag that forced the poison into her blood system, and then tied Caroline up to a shock chair downstairs in the dungeon while torturing and attacking her.

"You can struggle however you want, that won't save you," Cami said to her. "And I happen to know someone who won't react very well if you kill me." Still, Caroline continued to fight and struggle against Cami's torture.

"You may be beautiful and powerful, and have a history with Klaus," Cami added, "but if there's anything that he likes about me, it's my mind. I can understand him and you can't. You're worried he'll soon see the truth, that he'll figure out just how damaged you really are underneath and then he won't love you anymore."

"I don't have to understand him," Caroline replied. "He loves me for who I am."

As Cami interrogated Caroline further, her questions persisted about Caroline's relationship with Klaus. Later, Caroline confessed that while her prince was kind and generous and all other incredible things, their love was forbidden by the Gods. Cami gloated at her ill fortune. While Caroline passed out from all the Vervain in her system, she could not help feeling the wreaked guilt that consumed her when she thought of the pain and worry that was about to be afflicted upon poor Klaus from missing her.

Finally, on the day that Caroline's parents were to return home, Klaus noticed that Caroline was missing, and discovered Cami had been keeping her prisoner and torturing her relentlessly. "He will never love you!" Cami cried. "Only I can understand him! You're only a wretched monster!"

The Hybrid was overcome with rage. "If you harm her, I will tear you apart!"

But Caroline begged him to spare Cami's life, for she was so good that she loved Cami and forgave her whole heartily for all the mistreatment she brought upon her. This wicked creature left the castle with even more envy in her heart than ever before, as Caroline's virtue and amiable qualities made her jealous.

That night, Klaus stayed with Caroline in her chambers and comforted her the best he could, but Cami's words still struck fear into her heart. She was afraid Klaus would see who she truly was underneath and wouldn't take her as she was, for Caroline had nothing but herself.

Unable to fall asleep, Caroline quietly slipped out of bed and lit a lamp into the great hall, where she wandered upstairs into the forbidden East Wing of the Royal bedroom. As the lamplight flickered across the room, Caroline saw the enchanted hummingbird. Curious, she reached out to touch it when suddenly the looking glass shimmered. As Caroline gazed into it, she saw the wicked witch, Lilith, ripping out Klaus' soul. She watched as he collapsed onto the floor.

Caroline raced back to her room and woke up the Hybrid. She warned him of Lilith's plan to destroy him. They were interrupted by a pounding on the bedroom door. Lilith had come to take the Klaus away. Before either of them could do anything, she quickly moved towards Klaus and put her hand over his heart.

Caroline's frightened eyes fell on Klaus. "No!" she cried. When Caroline lunged forward to try to stop Lilith, she immobilized Caroline with her magic.

Feeling his heartbeat, Lilith looked into Klaus' eyes with delight as his heart slowed down, until finally he breathed his last breath and his body stilled. Caroline once again felt their connection and screamed out in horror. Then Lilith tore Klaus' soul straight out of his chest.

After locking Caroline in the cellar of the castle, Lilith captured Klaus and vanished. Caroline cried in despair, powerless to do anything. Luckily, Mr. Beak flew to the tiny window and used his beak to release her from the cellar.

But by the time Caroline made it out, everything was cursed in deadly vines. At the Dark Sanctum, Lilith scattered shards of the Hybrid's soul across the kingdom, determined more than ever to seek revenge against the beautiful vampire princess. Klaus' soul would remain broken until Caroline could find the remaining soul shards.

Day after day Caroline searched for Klaus, but failed to find him anywhere. She even pleaded with the kings to be reunited with him and made offerings of large sums of money to them. When not even the most powerful kings could help her, Caroline finally decided that she must go to Lilith's lair in the hope that she might find the Hybrid there.

When Caroline arrived, Lilith said, "The kingdom belongs to me now, and so does your beloved Hybrid! If you wish to have him back, you must complete three tasks for me. Fail, and you will never see him again." With that, Lilith led the princess to the hayfield with three mishevled scarecrows that were missing accessories to the rest of their costumes. "Recover the items for these scarecrows, a pitchfork, a piece of clothing, and a pumpkin head. Fix them by sunset."

As Lilith left, Caroline desperately tried to find the missing pieces to the scarecrows, but a flock of bloodthirsty crows kept her off the road. Then suddenly, she spotted a leather bound book inside a satchel that lay hidden within the field and picked it up. Inside were pages filled with important information about magical items and legends from locations around the town, where a map of the entire kingdom nestled inside. The map had been enchanted and would glow at certain areas when need was dire. When Caroline found the page she was looking for, she went to Owl Creek and grabbed the herbicide spray from Mr. Beak's tree house to destroy the cursed vines that were trapping one of the stone maids at a nearby abandoned cottage.

It was almost sunset by the time Caroline made it over to the cottage, and as she searched for the stone maid, she looked over and saw her trapped underneath a veil of poisonous vines. As she watched the vines dissipate from the spray, Caroline noticed a dagger in the maid's stone hand and used it to cut through the weeds in the garden, unveiling a pumpkin head. She then noticed a man's torn garment hanging from a tree branch and took that, too. But just before Caroline left, she picked up Puppybot, the ever faithful and metallic dog robot to scare off the crows. After setting off Puppybot, Caroline hurried to attach all the necessary items onto the scarecrows, collecting a chunk of raw meat from the road into her satchel. Unfortunately, Puppybot exploded shortly after chasing away the crows, a tendency that would often occur from the excitement of having too many robo-biscuits.

At dusk, Lilith was far from pleased to find the task completed.

The next morning Lilith told Caroline, "This task will not be so easy. In the Town Square beyond the gates, you will find a demon statue in the town well. She was once an angel, cursed by a powerful sorcerer to be transformed into a terrible demon. You must cleanse the plague on this statue!"

Using the book and enchanted map to guide her, Caroline immediately set off to the Town Square. Along the way, she came across animal tracks that led to a large tree and saw a dark hole at the base. Sensing something was lurking inside, she used the dagger to tear away the moss covering the hole and was astonished to discover a fox living there. Caroline realized the fox was hiding something inside his den so she laid the chunk of meat on the road for him to find, and waited until he climbed out of the den and ran off with the meat. She quickly used the opportunity to search the fox's den. Once inside, Caroline found a stone sword and shield. She grabbed both of them, thinking she might need them later and continued down the forest path.

Up ahead, Caroline saw a weeping willow tree where two stone Knight statues kneeled in front of it. Teardrops fell from the branches, and it seemed as though the tree was crying. At the base of the weeping willow tree, she saw a round plaque with a painting of two rabbits in the center. Caroline realized the Knights were missing a sword and a shield, so she placed the stone sword and the fallen shield she'd found inside the fox's den to the statues. As she was puzzling over how to unlock the mysterious plaque, Caroline encountered an invisible leprechaun who had dropped her pot of honey down the river. Using a hot poker from the Blacksmith, Caroline refilled it for her from a nearby beehive hanging off a tree. In gratitude, the leprechaun handed her a bag of lucky gold coins. "So a golden treasure ye found for me? Use these coins to unlock the secret rabbit door. Then you may gather all the treasure you desire."

After carefully placing the lucky coins into the correct slots of the Rabbit Hole door, Caroline unlocked it to find a broad quantity of gold coins inside an iron chest, with a single soul shard hidden in the center. Knowing it was Klaus', she hid it at the bottom of her satchel.

Caroline finally made it to the town gate and went through the doors to the Town Square. Standing in the town's well was the terrible demon statue. The well was locked by a three-piece stone code, and the only way to return the demon back to its angelic form was to place the well stones back on the lock, summoning the three fairy guardians that surrounded the statue. Caroline reached in to grab the stones from the bottom of the well and placed them on the lock accordingly. Soon, the stone fairies appeared, and with their three wands of power, removed the fallen angel's curse. The well lock opened before Caroline, revealing the second soul shard.

When Caroline returned safely with the chest full of gold coins as a token of her victory, Lilith was furious. Masking her anger with a sly smile, she said, "For your final task, take this box to the ice caverns. Inside the cave, there will be a Gauntlet of Strength. I am weary from magic and need some strength for myself. Bring me that gauntlet!"

Back in the witch's lair, the Hybrid learned of Lilith's plan to retrieve the powerful gauntlet. He knew the only way to obtain the gauntlet was to return the five elemental helms back to the Guardian of Strength that protected it. If any one of them suspected her heart was filled with great evil, they would destroy her. Although greatly afraid of what might befall Caroline on her journey to find the gauntlet, Klaus was prevented by Lilith's powers to help her. He used the magic mirror to communicate with her from inside the castle's Royal bedroom, giving her careful instructions about how to find the missing elemental helms and gather four venoms of a frog, a snake, a scorpion, and a spider for her own protection. He handed Caroline the Royal chest key from inside the glass and warned her that she should stop for nothing and talk to no one. No one could know that she was the princess, or Lilith's spies would find her. "My love," he said, "open the great chest. There you will find an empty vial to fill it with venom. Hurry!" A moment later, Klaus disappeared.

After collecting the four elemental helms and deadly venoms, Caroline crossed the dangerous Cold Pass into the ice caverns. Her heart pounding, she stepped through the mouth of the cave that was home to the Guardians of Strength. Caroline slowly made her way down the steep path of the dark tunnel, stopping only when she reached the path by the Strix River. There she treaded through the waters to the opposite bank. Once she crossed the shore, Caroline continued on to find the four guardians surrounding the great Excalibur stone. Lying by the riverbank was a box that contained the Gauntlet of Strength.

After returning the elemental helms to their rightful places, Caroline grabbed the gauntlet and used it to pull out the Sword in the Stone, taking only the soul shard from underneath.

Caroline poured the vial of venoms over the powerful sword and began her journey back to the castle. Scrambling back up the rocky path, she was overjoyed to step out into the bright daylight and made her way back to the castle, longing to see Klaus again, whom she had missed terribly.

In a rage that Caroline had completed her final task, Lilith sent a terrible monster, the Spider King, into the throne room against Caroline. He was so terrifying that when Caroline saw him, she nearly fled in terror. The Spider King's several evil eyes laid on every inch of the room, venom dripped from his deadly fangs, and dark purple gashes were slashed across his enormous body from past war. Roaring like a lion, he leaped in front of Caroline, threatening to tear her apart if she dared to take away the Hybrid. "Abandon all hope!" the spider hissed. "The Hybrid's soul is forfeit."

Trying to be brave, Caroline soon regained her courage and faced the monstrous spider with Excalibur. With the venoms still coated on the sword, she was able to spear through the spider's hard shell. The sword was so powerful that when she struck with it, the metal buzzed with power.

Caroline fought bravely with all her strength against the horrid monster. The ground rumbled beneath her, spiderlings swarmed around her.

A terrible battle raged on between Caroline and the Spider King, and blood spilled. But as the Spider King reared up to rip Caroline apart, she flung the mighty Excalibur sword straight into its chest. It buried itself deep within the spider's evil heart, and the monster fell backwards, collapsing to his death.

Caroline ran crying throughout the palace looking for the Hybrid, wringing her hands all about in despair. She feared she had been too late and that Klaus had been killed by Lilith. After searching for him everywhere, she raced to the canal in the palace garden. There she found Klaus stretched out on the grass plat quite senseless, who seemed to be just expiring. When she saw her beloved's lifeless body, Caroline threw herself upon him without dread, and hearing his heart still beating, she returned the soul shards to his body.

The Hybrid opened his eyes and looked at Caroline. "You forgot your promise," he said weakly. "I was so afflicted at having lost you that I couldn't bear the thought of living without you. But at least I have the happiness of seeing you one last time before I die."

"No!" Caroline cried, sobbing. "You can't die, please. I can't live without you...I love you." She woke Klaus with a kiss.

The moment she said those words, the enchanted hummingbird fluttered above the Hybrid in a halo of sparkling light. The golden light glittered down in teardrops, and in the Hybrid's place was one of the loveliest princes that eye could ever behold. The palace sparkled with light, the flowers that had once been lifeless blossomed and strived. Everything seemed to come alive with magic, but nothing could catch her attention. She turned to her love for whom she once trembled with fear, who thanked her for having broken the curse under which he had so long resembled a beast. He went on to explain how an evil enchantress had condemned him into a hideous beast until a beautiful maiden could love him for who he was underneath. "There was only you in the world courageous and kind enough to love me for the goodness of my heart underneath the beast. And from this day forward, I give you my promise to be none but yours forever."

"Oh, Klaus," she cried, "I never should have left you. Can you forgive me?"

"Only if you can forgive me, dearest Caroline," he answered. "I will never lose you again. You are my heart and soul."

Before taking his hand, Caroline asked Klaus one final question. "Will you take me as I am?"

"Of course I will," he answered. "But only if you take me as I am. As long as I have you, I'll be ready for anything."

"I know you will always find me," Caroline replied.

And so Caroline and the charming prince walked towards their future together at the castle, and Caroline was overjoyed to find her parents and Klaus' family in the great hall, whom the good fairy, Áine, who came to her room that night, had summoned.

"Caroline," said Áine, "it is now time for you to receive your reward. You have chosen to sacrifice your own life for this beast, loving him over beauty. And so the two of you shall be united for eternity. I have no doubt that you are going to be a great queen; only the strongest heart could have pulled out Excalibur. Now that you have found the strength within yourself, take it for the crown. I only hope the throne won't lessen your goodness, or make you forget yourself."

"As for you," said the fairy to Cami, "I know what is in your heart and all the malice it contains, and so I condemn you as a statue. As punishment, you shall stand before Caroline's palace gate and watch her happiness. If you cannot overcome your faults, you will always remain a statue, but I am very much afraid it will be so. Pride and anger are sometimes conquered, but curing a cruel and envious mind would be a miracle."

Immediately the fairy gave a stroke of her wand, and in that moment, all the stone statues that were once inside the castle were turned back into the prince's servants. His subjects greeted him with joy.

Áine had found herself in many situations over the years through Klaus' mischief and sadistic ways, so she was greatly pleased to see the young prince fall in love with the sweet-tempered Caroline.

With the three tasks now competed, Klaus was no longer under Lilith's power and control. Lilith had surrendered, fleeing to her hideout in the Dark Sanctum. There, the Prince locked her up behind the town gates as punishment, doomed to live the rest of eternity alone and to never hurt anyone again.

After Lilith had given up her struggle against Klaus and Caroline, there were no more wars or struggles and the wounds of battle had soon healed. The trees stood firmly anchored, the seas rode in calm waves, the world was green and bright again, and the fairies watched over the kingdom.

Thus, Klaus and Caroline finally wed before the entire kingdom, and the gods presented them with two goblets of ambrosia. "Drink this," he told the couple. "May Klaus and Caroline forever be bound together."

"My queen," Klaus said, kissing her.

"My Klaus," Caroline replied just as happily.

Caroline and Klaus were considered to be the fairest and kindest rulers the kingdom had ever known, and Caroline continued to see the world just as she always had, with courage and kindness. Their happiness–as it was founded on virtue–was everlasting, and in due time they had twins, whom they called Joy and Aelius.


End file.
